Cache

Chapter 16 ~ Run, Forest, Run!

I ignore my doubts and continue peering around hopefully.
Life has got to give us a break.

Now that the footsteps are thundering closer and closer I can hear a low voice talking.
It takes a few tries and a few more seconds before I can pick up on the words but when the jumbled sentences start to make sense in my mind I notice the accent before the words.

Russian.

"No I haven't seen them! Why did you send me out here you piece of shit?! I'm not the Australian here, how am I supposed to know how to read trails?" Rosik growls into the phone as he bursts into my sight.

I freeze, knowing that ducking my head behind the tree will only gather his attention.
From the corner of my eye I watch Dana slap her hands over her mouth to stifle any sound and I clench my hand around her arm.
Stabilising us both.

Rosik pauses a moment to hear undoubtedly Axel quip something back and Rosik's face grows red.

"Don't you dare make this out to be my fault. If you hadn't have scared the girls then they wouldn't have ran! But please continue blaming me as I try to find them while you sit on your ass!"

Not knowing that Dana and I are watching I marvel at his true unleashed persona.
All this time I thought I had at least an idea of who Rosik was but with no witnesses Rosik truly is a monster.

His eyes are cold and focused, his false warmth that is usually present when in front of others is stripped away and all I see are calculating pools of madness.

His hand that isn't holding the phone is clenched tightly in a fist, veins stark against his skin and I shiver as I remember his hands forcing themselves over my body.

He is never going to come near me again.

I mentally scoff however at the pure delusion of this man.
He refuses to see the truth behind why two kidnap victims would run from their captors.

It's calming to know that Axel isn't apart of the search but Rosik is the equivalent of two men so I'm not eased yet.

Rosik's face scrunches further as he listens tautly to whatever is being said on the other end but suddenly he flinches and I hear the soft ring of his phone in the distance.

"Shut up Axel. Base is calling."
Rosik mutters before hanging up on Axel.

I watch him take a deep breath and just like an actor getting into character I watch with fascination as he unclenches his hand, smiles widely and straightens his posture before answering the new call.

"русик говорит" Rosik begins pacing through the dead leaves as he continues speaking quickly in Russian and I grow wary as his mindless steps begin creeping closer and closer to the tree that we're hiding behind.

His tone sounds assuring and I'm assuming that he's letting his bosses know that everything is fine on their end.
A wild part of me wants to burst out behind the tree, yell out to his bosses that he has failed to keep us under control and then run off again but I force myself to stay still.

Dana is still tense against me and my legs begin to ache in their awkward crouching position.
I don't dare to shift though in case I crunch some leaves.

I allow my eyes to slowly scale the forest in search of an exit.

The smartest idea would be to go the way Rosik came from which just so happens to be the way we were originally headed.

I don't expect him to backtrack until it gets dark.
However considering the amount of small-talk that Rosik is partaking in I can't see him hanging up anytime soon. He even has the gall to laugh loudly at something and reply back with a chuckle.
His language leaving me clueless and frustrated.

Not wanting to see his face for a moment longer unless it's behind bars I cautiously lay my hand flat on the ground and start searching around for something to throw to get him out of the area but Dana's hand stops me.

I feel it rest on my hip and at first I'm confused as she taps me softly and risking a peek down when Rosik turns I'm dunked in cold water as I realise that she is tapping next to the gun tucked against my hip.

I'd completely forgot about the deadly weapon and I glance up at Dana in shock who has a grim but determined expression on her face.

In that moment she looks so much like her father that I realise why he is the Chief of his police force.

He isn't afraid to do what must be done and neither is Dana.

They will do anything to survive....

But the question is can I?